Governor Ricketts Signs American Civics Education Bill

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN)- Governor Pete Ricketts signed a bill which updates and renews the public school system’s American civic education on Monday. LB 399 focuses on preparing students in American civics and creating the proper skills so that they may engage in public debate in a knowledgeable and civil manner. The bill was introduced by state Senator Julie Slama and was approved by Legislature on a vote of 44-2-3.

“To preserve and grow the Good Life, it is imperative that we pass on our legacy of civic freedom and our democratic republic to the next generation,”Ricketts said. “By putting American civics education at the center of our public schools curriculum, LB399 helps our kids gain an appreciation of the freedoms they enjoy and an understanding of how these liberties can be preserved. Thank you to Senator Slama for her successful efforts to garner such broad support for this important legislation.”

LB 399 also pushes for transparency by ensuring that any changes to the curriculum are made readily available to the public. “LB 399 lays the groundwork to ensure that students have at least been given a basic introduction to their government,” Slama said. “Our nation’s history and government structure is simply too important to take a backseat to other core subjects. This bill represents a promising first step that, regardless of political ideology and urban/rural background, that we can find common ground on issues that had in the past encountered insurmountable division.”

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The Civics Education Initiative is a program of the Civics Proficiency Institute a 501(c)(4) organization affiliated with the Joe Foss Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to creating informed, engaged citizens through civics education and awareness.